Zune HD Facebook app bombs on launch

Updated 10:21 a.m. March 3: Microsoft says it has successfully solved a communication issue between Facebook and the new Facebook app for Zune HD. The problem kept Zune users from viewing the Facebook News Feed.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) evening, the Microsoft and Facebook engineering teams worked together to fix an issue Zune HD users were experiencing with the recently released Facebook application for Zune HD,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “Users should now be able to access the full functionality of the Facebook application for Zune HD.”

The app was released on Monday. Below is my original report Tuesday:

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seattlepi.com illustration

A News Feed screeenshot is shown on Microsoft’s Zune HD Facebook app.

Microsoft on Monday released a Facebook application for the Zune HD media player. But as soon as it launched, a big problem was immediately evident.

The Facebook app is having trouble connecting to Facebook.

“After launching the Facebook application for the Zune HD, we discovered a technical issue related to the API (application programming interface) calls to Facebook which does not allow Zune users to view News Feed,” a Microsoft spokesperson told seattlepi.com. “The Facebook and Microsoft engineering teams are working together and hope to have a solution in the coming days.”

Indications are that other pieces of the application work fine.

Like the Facebook app for Apple iPhone/iPod Touch or Google Android OS, the idea is Zune HD users can stay connected wherever they are – via wi-fi. Users can also easily update their Facebook status with the music they’re currently listening to, Microsoft said.